“I’m crazy about you & I want the world to know,” she captioned the photo. In her interview, she revealed she hadn’t informed her family before making the post public. “Coming out is an opportunity to send a strong message,” she stated, calling the anti-gay law, which predates her father’s presidency, “unfair” and expressing hope that her story might lead to change.
Paul Biya, 91, has been president of Cameroon since 1982, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Brenda shared that she had been in a relationship with Valenca for eight months and had brought her to Cameroon three times without disclosing their relationship to her family. Living abroad as a musician, Brenda has received both support and negative feedback since her announcement.
She expressed happiness at revealing her orientation, hoping to give hope and “send love” to those suffering “because of who they are” and help them feel less alone. Her brother was the first family member to call, angry about the unannounced post, and later, her parents, President Paul Biya and First Lady Chantal Biya, urged her to delete it. Since then, she has had no further communication with them.
Brenda recounted having her first crush on a girl at 16 but struggled to express her feelings due to her country’s laws. Same-sex relations in Cameroon are illegal and can result in up to five years in prison. There has been no official comment from the president or the first lady. A government source told French broadcaster RFI that the matter pertains to “the private life of an adult residing outside the country and does not in any way concern Cameroon or the head of state.” Rights groups opposing Cameroon’s anti-gay laws have praised Brenda’s revelation as a courageous move.
In Cameroon, homosexuality is illegal and punishable by law. The legal framework criminalizing same-sex sexual activity is primarily based on Section 347-1 of the Cameroonian Penal Code, which prescribes imprisonment of up to five years and fines for those found guilty of engaging in homosexual acts. This law has led to widespread discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ individuals in the country.
Cameroon has one of the highest rates of arrests for homosexuality in the world. Many arrests are made on the basis of appearance or accusations rather than concrete evidence of same-sex sexual activity. Detainees often face prolonged detention without charge, forced anal examinations, solitary confinement, and other forms of mistreatment. The societal stigma and legal repercussions force many LGBTQ+ individuals to live in hiding, severely impacting their ability to access healthcare and other services.
Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have called for the repeal of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relationships, highlighting the laws’ violation of international human rights standards and their detrimental effect on public health initiatives, particularly those related to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment these calls, there has been little progress towards decriminalization, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people remains pervasive in Cameroonian society.
